wow

Formswows, wowing, wowed

Pluralwows

1. 1
   real surpriseinterjection

   Said to show excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.

   Wow, the fireworks lit up the entire sky over the harbor!

   Wow, this cake tastes even better than it looks.

   UsageUsually opens the sentence, followed by a comma or exclamation mark: Wow, look at that!

   Similarwhoa, gosh, goodness, golly

   Note

   The oldest of these exclamations, and a Scottish one: English borrowed it from Scots in the sixteenth century, and Gavin Douglas writes "wow! thow cryis" in his translation of Virgil's Aeneid, completed in 1513. Behind the Scots word is simply a natural cry of feeling. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

   • English borrowed wow from Scots in the sixteenth century. en.wiktionary.org
   • Gavin Douglas wrote the quoted words in his translation of Virgil's Aeneid. en.wiktionary.org
   • Douglas completed the translation in 1513; this is its completion date, not its first publication date. university-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk
   • The word ultimately originated as a natural exclamation. en.wiktionary.org
2. 2
   impressverbcolloquialtransitive

   To amaze, awe, or greatly impress someone.

   Her debut album wowed critics across the country.

   A skilled speaker can wow an audience within the first few minutes.

   UsageTakes an object: wow critics, wow an audience. Also common in the passive: were wowed by the show.

   Similaramaze, impress, dazzle, astonish, awe

   Oppositedisappoint, underwhelm, bore

3. 3
   sarcasticinterjection

   Said sarcastically to show disapproval or a lack of being impressed.

   Wow, three hours late and not even a single apology.

   Wow, what a brilliant plan that turned out to be.

   Similargreat, nice

   Note

   Sarcasm turns the cry of admiration upside down. The tell is what follows: a pause, often written as an ellipsis, then mock praise ("good job," "what a brilliant plan") for something plainly bad. Without that contrast a listener may hear the sincere exclamation, so in writing the surrounding words have to carry the irony.

4. 4
   amazing thingnouncolloquialcountable

   Something exceptionally surprising, unbelievable, or outstanding.

   Her closing performance was the wow of the entire evening.

   The final act delivered a genuine wow that left the crowd cheering.

   UsageUsually with a or the: a real wow, the wow of the evening.

   Similarsensation, hit, triumph, showstopper, knockout

   Oppositeflop, letdown, dud

   Note

   In Delos W. Lovelace's King Kong (1932) a character calls a new outfit "a wow," and Stephen Fry's The Liar (1991) has "Face it, it's a wow." The phrase barely changed in sixty years. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 7 facts

   • Delos W. Lovelace wrote the novelization King Kong. upload.wikimedia.org
   • King Kong was first published in 1932. en.wikipedia.org
   • A character in King Kong calls a new outfit "a wow." upload.wikimedia.org
   • Stephen Fry wrote The Liar. cdn.penguin.co.uk
   • The Liar was first published in 1991. cdn.penguin.co.uk
   • The Liar contains the exact dialogue "Face it, it's a wow." cdn.penguin.co.uk
   • The quoted construction remains the same across approximately sixty years: 1932–1991. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   a spoken crynouncolloquialcountable

   An instance of someone uttering the exclamation "wow".

   His quiet wow was the only sound in the room after the reveal.

   A chorus of wows greeted the unexpected announcement.

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